The New York Yankees are not the only team in win-now mode. There are teams throughout both the AL and NL that look locked and loaded, and ready to win the title in 2018.
The New York Yankees are in for a fight.
They want to win the 2018 World Series but so do a host of other clubs. And they’ve built their own Super teams. That means winning it all won’t just say making it through the Red Sox, Indians, and Astros.
It likely also means taking on either the Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Dodgers if and when they get there. And all those teams are loaded.
Some of you might argue that there are other teams either in win-now mode or that will make the postseason; that is obvious enough as more than seven make the MLB Postseason every year. But the other teams in contention and win-now mindsets are not built well enough to be on the level as these.
Around the Diamond
The Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, for instance, were both designed to be in the middle of multiple successful seasons by now. But roster construction, insufficient talent development, and under-performing free agents have sunk their chances.
Anaheim hoped signing Shohei Ohtani would return them to contender status. But supporting that move with mediocre free agents and otherwise insignificant upgrades to the pitching staff leave them as far from Houston as they were when last season ended.
And it will be hard to make up that ground with an expensive and rapidly declining Albert Pujols.
Milwaukee and Philadelphia, meanwhile, made some great moves but are still win-soon teams, akin to the 2017 Yankees. That shows not only the possibilities for these clubs but also that it is too early to predict big things.
Last year at this time, I picked the Yankees to finish second in the AL East and win a wild card spot, and neither the Brewers nor the Phillies have their pitching.
The best of the other win-now teams are the Rockies and Cards. Both seem poised for good things in 2018. But neither has built a deep enough to team to be in the category of the first seven, which brings us back around.
And we’ll start at the very top.